From The Bitfury Group Newsroom

The Amsterdam-based firm said Tuesday it had dedicated its GPU computer nodes to the “Folding@home” coronavirus research project. Run by Washington University, the project has been asking for computer processing power to run simulations for coronavirus protein structure that could ultimately help develop a vaccine.

Our second annual Blockchain 50 represents enterprises embracing the technology underlying cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and using it to speed up business processes, increase transparency and potentially save billions of dollars. To qualify, Blockchain 50 members must be generating no less than $1 billion in revenue annually or be valued at $1 billion or more.

This week, we released our second annual list of billion-dollar companies making the biggest strides in blockchain tech. The list spans a wide range of industries and projects from household names like Vanguard, Square and Microsoft to cryptocurrency-native startups like Bitfury. A few more examples:

In Georgia, where most electricity is generated by hydropower, Bitfury deployed a system to reduce the energy needed to cool down its heating servers.

As the dominoes of distributed ledgers and enterprise blockchains continue to topple, it may seem surprising, then, that one of the oldest Bitcoin companies is digging deeper into a blockchain for businesses. But that’s precisely what Bitfury is doing — and it’s adding Bitcoin to the mix.

The Bitfury Group has made what it calls a “strategic acquisition” in decentralized credential provider Shyft Network as it prepares to build out government-facing identity products. The deal, as outlined in a press statement Wednesday, will see Bitfury invest in Shyft’s Financial Action Task Force (FATF) travel compliance solution.

After previously releasing open-source software that anyone could use for free to run a permissioned blockchain similar to bitcoin, Bitfury today launched Exonum Enterprise, the first such blockchain built from the ground up to let large corporations streamline their business and increase transparency using the bitcoin blockchain.

Companies including traditional financial institution Scotiabank, cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Bitfinex and blockchain investigation firms Chainalysis and Bitfury Crystal assembled a crack team of compliance officers—dubbed Project Participate—to compile a report on crime and the blockchain.

Online music rights management company SoundVault has joined Bitfury Surround as its first strategic partner. Bitfury Surround is the music entertainment division of blockchain and fintech company Bitfury Group. The firm’s first initiative will be to create an open-source music platform secured by the Bitcoin blockchain.

European blockchain company The Bitfury Group, valued recently at more than $1 billion, has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) division, the company’s top official told Reuters in an interview. The AI division will operate alongside Bitfury’s existing blockchain services and remain part of the company. Bitfury is one of a handful of blockchain companies around the world with at least a $1 billion valuation.